TikTok mum discusses names Gen Alpha think are old-fashioned - including millennial ones like Ashley & Amanda

Like fashion trends, baby name trends tend to be somewhat cyclical and repetative.

Names can fall out of favour just as quickly as they gained popularity and, as a result, there are often lots of people who share the same name who were born within the same time period.

As time moves on that means that there are certain names that become associated with each generation, and by extension therefore become known as names more common among elderly people.

Once, these old fashioned names were like Rose, Violet, Margaret, Bridget, Arthur, Cecil, George and Oscar. But, some of these names are among the most popular baby names for 2024 so, that begs the question: what names are now classed as old-fashioned?

The answer to that question may lay with members of the Gen Alpha, those born from 2013 onwards, as they are the youngest generation. But, if you're not part of Gen Alpha, the answer may shock you.

Millennial mum Amber Cimiotti, who posts under the username @ciaoamberc, took to TikTok to share her surprise after speaking to her young daughter who told her that, in the opinion of her and her friends, names which were commonly given to millennials are now “old person” names. Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996.

So, names wich were commonly given to new arrivals in the 90s, such as Ashley, Amber and Amanda, are “basically the new Margaret or Barbara” in the eyes of today’s kids she said in the video, which has gained more than 3.5 million views.

Cimiotti, who lives in the United States, added that her daughter Scarlett’s teachers are called “Miss Erica,” and “Miss Samantha”, so the youngster associates these names with much more mature women.

She said: “The other day my daughter told me the names Ashley or Amanda, or my name is Amber, are old people names. And I never thought about it this way but she’s like, ‘yeah my teachers are Miss Erica and Miss Samantha, there are Amandas and Ashleys, they are old people names."

Cimiotti then explained that to her, the names cited as “old people names” by her daughter are the names of many of her classmates from her school days. “For me, Ashley is always going to be like my friend from elementary, so it seems like a kid name to me, but it’s not,” she laughed. “Ashley, Amanda, Amber all of these names are like basically the new Margaret or Barbara.”

So, just what are "young people names", according to the next generation, Gen Alpha? "Young people names, like my daughter is Scarlett, there is Charlotte, Olivia, Penelope, Isabella, Bella, Ellas, those are young people names," according to Cimiotti's daughter and her friends.

In the comments, millennials were mortified by the judgement from the children, but many were quick to point out the recurring nature of names. One said: "Little do they know that the 'new names' are actually grandma names to us." Another added: "Except Charlotte, Olive, Eleanor, etc. are also Granny names for us so it all comes full circle."

One commenter shared her own experience with her young child. They said: "My daughter told me a kid in her class has a dad name. Kid's name is Josh." One amused person said: "My name is Amber and my sisters are Ashley and Amanda hahahaha."

Two others were less impressed. One said: "As an Amanda, I am horrified", while another added: "Erica here. Feeling attacked,"